


Behind the Eight Ball

by campnowhere



Series: Behind the Eight Ball: The Detective Danvers Series [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex is a CSI, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, And Kara is there to help, Angsty Schmoop, CEO Cat Grant, Cat has a stalker, Detective Kara Danvers, F/F, Supergirl au, supercat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-22 01:45:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7413715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/campnowhere/pseuds/campnowhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn’t fan mail. They are vague invasions of privacy packaged neatly inside expensive stationary, always delivered to Cat’s office, always anonymous.</p><p>Can National City's youngest detective crack the case and keep the Queen of all Media out of harm's way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The newest pictures are equally spaced along his wall, beside the ancient map of National City, so many creases and pinholes littering the paper that it is barely holding together. This time, the pics are sharper, taken during the day when the sun was high in the sky. It had been a bit harder to be conspicuous in the daylight, but the area was riddled with people on a sunny afternoon and it was easy to get lost in the mingling crowd. His subject was oblivious to his presence of course, walking quickly through the throngs of people, cell phone to her ear the majority of the time. He wonders if she even suspected that she was being watched…maybe his last message had been ignored like the first.

He follows her more now, the few hours of the day that she isn’t ensconced in her lofty tower. He knows it isn’t wise to be so close, but he is getting anxious. The plan to draw this out is quickly being altered by his obsession to see her reactions. He wants her to react…wants her to pay attention to her surroundings and be more cautious when she is out. Yet he is still waiting to see even the first sign that she is bothered by his attention. He will definitely speed his plan along.

\-------------------------------------

Cat taps her fingers mindlessly, arms spread wide on the top of her desk. Antsy doesn’t even begin to describe her feelings at the moment. She stares at the open envelope in front of her, opened earlier by her assistant of course. It is as nondescript as they come. White, thick, with bold block letters printed on the outside…just her name of course. That’s the way they all have been. 

Her eyes snap towards the door of her office when she hears the sharp tick of Lucy Lane’s heels heading her way. With a quick upturn of her head, the young lawyer enters without slowing down. “Traffic was a bitch. I came as soon as I got your message” Lucy throws out, as she tosses her bag on one of the pristine white couches. “What’s the emergency? Accidentally fire someone before they showed up for their first day of work?”

Cat glares. “No baby Lane. I got another one.”

“Shit” Lucy says, quickly walking around to stand beside Cat behind her desk. “No pictures this time I hope?”

“No pictures. Just a nice little note telling me how tired I looked coming out of a late dinner the other night.”

“This is number three. You agreed that if it happened again, you’d call the police. This isn’t fan mail, it’s creepy” the lawyer says quietly. 

It isn’t fan mail. They are vague invasions of privacy packaged neatly inside expensive stationary, always delivered to Cat’s office, always anonymous. The first arrived a few weeks prior, with one sentence written in that bold, black writing… ‘You think you’re untouchable, the Queen in her high castle’. At the time, the CEO brushes it off with an eye roll, but Lucy happens to be in her office going over a contract. She is more than suspicious and after Cat tosses it on top of the trash, she swipes it and slides it into the outside pocket of her briefcase. The second comes almost exactly a week later, a picture. Grainy, not high quality, but unmistakably Cat and her teenage son Carter walking into their penthouse at night. 

“I know what I said. I’ve already called them.” The older woman gets up stiffly from her desk and walks straight to her bar to retrieve two glasses. After handing over one of the drinks, she walks out the door to her balcony with Lucy following close behind. She takes a deep breath and asks, “Have you told anyone about this? James?”

“No, Cat. You asked me not to remember? And I’ll always do what you ask. I’m not just your overly competent and talented lawyer. I’m your friend” Lucy quips.

Cat wonders if her eyes can actually roll out of her head. “Maybe you are more like your sister than I think” she murmurs into her drink.

Lucy gives a quiet laugh and takes a sip of her own drink, swallowing thickly at the overpowering taste of Cat’s favorite brand of bourbon. “I haven’t told anyone and I won’t say anything now. This is serious, Cat. I want you safe, both you and Carter. I’ll do anything you need me to do.”

Cat gives a quiet hum of approval as she looks out over her city. “Thank you Lucy.”

They both startle when there is a quiet knock on the balcony door. Cat’s assistant Cindy stands patiently, waiting for an indication to deliver her message. With an almost imperceptible tilt of Cat’s head she begins, “Miss Grant, there’s a detective here to see you?” 

“Is there a question in there somewhere Cynthia?” Cat snidely asks.

“Um, there is a detective here to see you Miss Grant. My question is, would you like to see her as well?” Cindy replies quickly, knowing her boss’s quirks better than she does herself.

“Mm. You keep getting better at this Cynthia. Yes, give me a moment and then send her in.” Cat leaves her drink on the balcony ledge and strides confidently inside her office, Lucy trailing behind. “Lucy, thank you for coming so quickly. I will fill you in on whatever this detective has to say.”

Lucy bites her lip to keep the concerned words at bay and throws out a “Call me later” as she grabs her bag on her way out the glass door. 

Cat sits behind her massive desk, her impenetrable wall of confidence. She brings grown men to their knees sitting behind this desk. She will take advantage of that same power here, to make sure this detective knows who’s in charge. She wants answers. She wants them now. And Cat Grant always gets what she wants.

She turns slightly to her left to open the bottom drawer, retrieving the two other envelopes she had received from her anonymous friend. She lays them on the desk next to the newest arrival and takes a deep breath. She hears the door open, but waits until the person decides it’s safe to speak...one of her oldest tactics, always keep them waiting.

She hears the quiet clearing of a throat and chances a glance upwards toward her visitor…and freezes. She is…young, tall, blonde hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, with dark rimmed glasses and a gentle smile. Her startling blue eyes are brought out even more by the same blue of her shirt, worn underneath what Cat will swear is enough polyester to make her insides itch. But that dark suit sits upon broad shoulders, the open buttons giving her a glance of a thin waist and an immaculately shining badge clipped to her belt, which brings her even more pause. 

“Miss Grant” the young woman starts causing Cat’s eyes to snap to her face once again. Her voice is quiet and kind. “My name is Detective Kara Danvers. I hear you have a problem and I’m here to help.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kara wonders briefly if time can stand still under Cat Grant’s gaze…it certainly feels like it. She waits patiently though, never letting her smile falter under the scrutiny. When she finally sees the steely gaze abate, she thinks that maybe this won’t be as hard as she thought…maybe.

“I didn’t realize that they started handing out Detective’s badges in high school” Cat quips with a smirk, idly fiddling with the random stacks of paper on her gigantic desk.

It’s not the first time she’s gotten flack over her age or her girl-next-door appearance and it won’t be the last. She’s learned years ago to take it in stride…and to give them a reason to never ask again. “Well, I did really well in gym class, I guess they thought I deserved a prize” she replies with a smirk of her own. She sees the older woman’s eyes grow wide with mirth at her statement, but the knowing look on her face never leaves.

“Well, Detective Danvers. Doesn’t your kind usually arrive in pairs? Or did they send junior detective out on their own?” Cat throws out as she saunters back to her bar to pour the drink she never finished earlier.

“You are correct, Miss Grant, my partner, Detective Vasquez is actually lurking around your mail room right now. I’m sure she’ll be up in a moment.”

Cat stopped abruptly and turned. “What do you mean ‘lurking around my mail room’?? The both of you should have been announced before you even reached the elevators. Cynthia!!”

Kara could see the tension rising in the woman’s body before the frantic call for her assistant and she took a step forward. “Miss Grant, if I may, your assistant, Cindy, is not to blame.” She stopped for a moment when Cat’s eyes met hers. “After being briefed on the call you made this morning, I needed to know how the security in your building works. That’s why I didn’t call ahead or stop at the front desk when we arrived…we need to see how easy it is for someone to get into your building, your mailroom and offices without being noticed. I’m sorry to say that it’s very easy.” She pauses as her phone vibrates with a message. “Pardon me Miss Grant, it’s my partner.”

Cat leans back against the hard edge of her bar and sips absently at her drink, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing, but honestly, she’s in her own office, she can hear whatever she wants.

“Yeah, Vas? Ok, that’s what we figured. I’m on the 40th. See you in a minute.” Kara closes the call with a swipe, then turns back to Cat with the same kind smile. “Miss Grant, my partner will be up in a moment. Maybe you can show me the messages that have been sent? I want to get them to our forensics department as soon as possible.”

At the mention of the messages, Cat’s face turns worried and she walks quickly to her desk to gather the three nuisances together to hand over to the detective. “How…how easy was it to get up here?” she asks with only the smallest falter as she holds out the envelopes to the detective.

“Honestly Miss Grant, it was too easy…but I’m here to help you change that. And to stop whoever is harassing you. I know how busy you are, so I won’t keep you anymore this afternoon. I’m leaving our direct numbers as well as the numbers of our support crew and if it’s ok with you, I’d like to send over our security assessment after we’ve gathered the data. There may be a need to hire personal security for you and your son while we sort everything out.”

Cat’s eyes turn from worried to deadly in a moment… “You know about my son? I didn’t mention that on the phone call this morning.”

Kara dropped her eyes for a moment. She knew from previous cases that realizing your own vulnerability was pivotal when it came to a harassment situation. “I know about both of your sons Miss Grant…and to be honest, it didn’t take much digging to find that information. Unfortunately, the information age is both a blessing and a curse. I also know the addresses of your penthouse apartment, your beach house and the hotels you frequent in both Las Vegas and…Boca Raton…?”

Cat dropped her gaze to the top of her gleaming desk…she stayed silent for several seconds. “I have some family in Florida” she said finally, her voice barely audible against the sounds of the office behind them. 

Kara turned her head slightly when she heard the elevator approaching. She took another step forward, “Miss Grant” she said softly… “why don’t you show me what you’ve received so far?”

After a few short explanations for each message, Kara was ready to get started. “Miss Grant, you have my card, if you could just email me a quick list of anyone in your office who could have handled the envelopes before they made it to your desk, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Cat.”

“I’m sorry Miss Grant?” Kara questioned.

“Cat. Please call me Cat. I’ll get that list to you before I leave today.”

“Cat…” Kara said softly, “I’ll be in touch tomorrow.” At the other woman’s slight nod, Kara turned on her heel and ran right into her partner with a scowl. She turned quickly and said… “Cat…before I go, this is my partner, Detective Vasquez. If you’re ever unable to reach me, please feel free to reach out to her.” 

And to her surprise, Cat stood and held a hand out to the other detective.

\----------------------------------------------

“So…it’s ‘Cat’ already hmmm?” Vasquez asks, with a smug smile that Kara can see even in the blurry image of the stainless steel elevator doors. The 40 floor ride to the bottom will never go fast enough.

“Shut it.”

“No, really…this is the Queen of all Media. She is the untouchable force of celebrity in this city and beyond, but after 5 minutes in the room with baby Danvers, she’s all, ‘please call me Cat’”, said in a taunting high voice. "You are a force of nature. You just don’t know it and you’re ridiculous.” 

“You’re ridiculous. And you can bite me, Suzie.”

“Nah, baby Danvers, I only sink my teeth into your sister” the other Detective says with a smirk.

“Oh my freaking god. I need to eat to stay alive. How about you not ruin my appetite?” Kara says with the palms of her hands digging into her eye sockets.

“Life is hard Detective Danvers.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kara lets out a groan as she puts the phone down, then tugs the glasses off of her face and angrily rubs her eyes. Nothing. They have nothing off of the messages Cat Grant has received so far. They are on the most generic stationary you can buy, no distinguishing characteristics and worst of all, no fingerprints outside of the long list of people in the CatCo building who could have handled the envelopes before they made it to Cat’s office. 

“Still nothing?” she hears from the desk behind her, where Vasquez sits.

She lets out another long breath before she puts her glasses back on her face, welcoming the way they help her focus. “Nothing. You know, Vas, I didn’t expect much, but I thought we could get at least get something to show off of the only freaking evidence we have.” She hears a vague grunt from her partner and knows she’s just as frustrated. “I’m going to talk to Alex before I leave to meet Miss Grant. Do you want to come?”

“You mean ‘Cat’?” Vasquez says with a smirk that Kara can practically hear. “No, I’ve got to finish the report on last week’s kidnapping, but call me afterwards with all the details from your date.”

“It’s not a date, you jerk. It’s a follow-up meeting to tell her what we’ve found. Which is nothing. At all. Which I’m sure will get me kicked out of her office and told never to come back.”

“Keep your chin up, Danvers, I’m sure she’s got a better bedside manner than that” the other detective says with a chuckle. 

“I hate you so much.”

\---------------------------------------------

She takes the stairs down the three floors to the forensics lab where her sister spends her days and laughs when she hears her before she sees her. She takes a quick look to make sure they are the only ones around, before she ducks into the room and uses a bit of her own magic to place herself inches behind her sister in the blink of an eye. Alex is oblivious, singing out loud to the pop music in her headphones, uncaring if anyone is around to hear…Kara smirks to herself when she realizes that’s probably why Alex is alone. Her colleagues have wandered off to the far reaches of the lab to escape the torture. She takes a deep breath and blows icy cold air onto the back of her sister’s neck, who in turn shrieks and jumps several feet away before Kara can even stop blowing. 

“You alien asshole” Alex hisses, flailing her hands wildly to try and slap Kara as many times as possible, who can only laugh in response. She gives up and yanks the headphones out of her ears, scowling as she throws them in a drawer. “What do you want? I sent you my results. We got zip off your envelopes.”

“Just came to say hi, big sister. Geez.” Kara flops into the chair in front of Alex’s desk and idly starts playing with the random objects in front of her. 

“What’s up? Vas still giving you shit about Cat Grant? Because, good, you deserve it” Alex says bluntly, slapping Kara’s hands away from the multi-colored collection of centrifuge tubes lined up on her desk. “Stop that.”

“Yes, she is, but I’m used to it. Just trying to figure out how to get an angle on this case, short of following Cat’s every move to catch a clue.”

“Well, there you go. Cat Grant is the most famous person in this city, Kara. Tailing her is probably the best way to get a handle on your unsub.” The CSI sits in the chair opposite and rests her forearms on the desk. “What else is wrong?”

“It’s the kid” she mumbles. “First the kidnapping case last week, now Cat Grant and her barely teenage son have some creep lurking, taking photos. Why can’t they just leave the kids out of it?”

“Hey” Alex says softly. “You’re gonna catch this creep, Kara, just like you always do. Sometimes the clues just take a little longer to float to the surface. You and Vas are going to tighten the screws next time he goes off the track and I’m going to nail him with the evidence you bring me.”

Kara rolls her eyes, but still gives a tiny smile. “You guys have got to stop watching those old detective movies.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

“Detective, please join me.”

“Thank you, Miss Gr... Cat. Thank you for meeting with me as well, I can only imagine how busy you are” Kara says as she wanders further out onto the balcony connected to CEO’s office and is struck dumb by the sight. “Wow.”

Cat chuckles from her perch, elbows resting on the balcony’s railing and an icy glass in one hand. “Best view in National City, don’t you think?”

“Definitely looks like it. It’s beautiful.” It is almost dusk, the sun so low in the sky it casts an entire array of reds, purples and oranges across the sky.

“Hmm. You’re new to the city aren’t you, Detective Danvers?” Cat asks as she swirls the ice in her glass.

Kara eyes her curiously and settles at the railing a few feet away. “Well, yes, I am. I moved here from Metropolis about four months ago to be closer to my family. Been doing some research of your own, Miss Grant?” she murmurs, giving the older woman a sideways glance.

A wry smile... “Well, I’m still a reporter at heart. I wouldn’t be a very good one if I didn’t do a little digging on the cops I’m giving access to my life.”

“No need to go digging. I’ll gladly tell you anything you’d like to know” Kara replies with a wry smile of her own. “None of it’s very exciting though, just to warn you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Graduated early and with top honors from both high school and Stanford, with a double major no less, Sociology and Criminal Justice… and after only three years on the beat, you aced the detective’s exam. You are the youngest on record in Metropolis and now again in National City.” Cat turns towards her with an appreciative smile that makes her heart flutter and leans her hip against the railing. “I’d say that’s pretty exciting Detective.”

Kara clears her throat self-consciously, feels the blush working its way up her neck, but can’t stop her words from coming... “Well, it certainly sounds more glamorous coming from your lips.”

Cat gives a devilish smile before murmuring… “Lots of things do.”

Kara has a hard time dragging her eyes away from said lips, when reality suddenly rushes back to her. She tears her eyes away from the woman and takes a few steps toward one of the chairs that sits on the balcony. “So…Cat, I wanted to meet with you to let you know about our findings.”

“Let me guess…you came up with nothing?” she says nonchalantly, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Unfortunately, there was no trace evidence left on the envelopes which were delivered to you. They were handled too many times, probably all in your building, before they made it to your desk. I’m sorry we couldn’t come up with something” Kara ends softly.

“That’s quite alright, Detective. I know how these things go. We’ll just have to get something next time, if there is a next time. My main priority is the safety of my son. I can handle threats, god knows I’ve had my share over the years, but no one threatens my son.” Cat’s eyes flash with anger and she turns once again to look out at the fading sunset.

Kara walks back towards the woman. She can hear the elevated heartbeat; she can hear her fear. “Your son’s name is Carter?” 

Cat takes a quick glance back and meets Kara’s eyes… “Yes. Carter is twelve this year. He’s…a shy boy, but extremely smart. He doesn’t get along with many people besides me.”

“Cat, I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to keep you and Carter safe” Kara says in a low voice, her heartfelt conviction bleeding through.

“I know you will.”

\------------------------------------------------------

He looks from his watch towards the front of the building again. He is taking a risk, being so close in the daylight like this, but he is clean-cut enough to not draw any attention. His boring sedan blends in with the many cars and SUVS lined up in the area, all waiting patiently to pick up their precious cargo. The doors open now, and one by one, the kids start piling out into the sunlight. There are too many at first, peppered with the occasional adult, the teachers, of course. Towards the back of the pack though, the awkward stance of the boy draws his attention. That’s him. That’s the son. He has only seen him the one time before, when he snapped that grainy picture in the cover of darkness, but here he is, standing alone with his thumbs tucked under the straps of his backpack. 

He jerks his gaze away suddenly and shuts his eyes. He can feel the sweat rolling down his forehead. He opens his eyes again to focus on the faded scrap of a picture stuck on the dashboard of his car. His own son stares back at him. He glances out the window again just in time to see the boy being ushered into the back of a town car. It’s gone before he can even put his car in drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> txnmcky on tumblr


	4. Chapter 4

Cat lets her head rest against the back wall of the elevator, feeling its movement slow as it approaches the penthouse apartment that she shares with her young son. Carter should be in bed by now, her dinner meeting having ran long past the preset time. As the elevator softly rolls to a stop, she vows again to herself to make sure it doesn’t happen as often. With that bit of self-loathing out of the way and a new bout of determination, she steps out with purpose, hoping to lay a kiss upon his head before he’s too far gone into slumber. That determination falters as soon as she turns the sharp left out into the hallway. A white envelope sits propped against her door.

She doesn’t think twice about entering her home, quickly inserting her key in the lock and using the toe of her heel to nudge the envelope inside her door. She drops her things in a heap by the door and strides quickly to the living room to find Carter’s nanny Anna curled up in the corner of her overstuffed couch with a book. “Is he asleep?” she throws out over her shoulder, already making her way down the hall towards her son’s room. Cat hears her affirmative reply faintly, but doesn’t pay any mind as she quietly pushes his door open, loathe to wake him, but needing the affirmation that he’s alright.

He’s safe and asleep, his brown curls stark against his pale sheets. His bedside lamp is still glowing and his latest book still clutched in his hand. Cat steps forward to retrieve it, placing his bookmark in its place and resting it on his night stand. She pauses to run her fingers through his hair softly, before closing her eyes in relief. She allows herself just a moment, not wanting to wake him, before clicking off his lamp and making her way back to the hallway. She finds Anna there, wringing her hands in worry. “Cat, is something wrong?” she asks and Cat can hear the worry in her voice. Cat knows that she loves Carter like her own. She takes a quick step forward and motions to the young woman to return to the living room.

After a brief explanation of the situation, Cat pours herself a quick drink to calm her nerves. Anna has settled back on the couch, but is too worked up to pick her book back up. Lucy is already on her way over with a stack of contracts that need her signature and she doesn’t see a need to put those off. She slides the glass door open that leads to her private balcony and brings up the contact number for her blue-eyed, blonde Detective.

\-----------------------------------------------------  
Kara is about to finish the last slice of pizza when she hears her phone buzzing against the coffee table. When she sees the number, she tosses it back in the box and grabs for it, barely reaching it before it stops ringing and knowing she’ll need to wipe it down afterwards. With a grimace, she lifts it to her ear. “This is Detective Danvers” she says quickly, hoping she hasn’t missed Cat’s call.

“Detective, this is Cat Grant. I’m sorry to bother you so late, but we have a situation.”

“It’s no bother, Cat. You can call me anytime.” Kara rolls her eyes at herself and thanks whoever is responsible that Vas or Alex are nowhere nearby. She recovers quickly, “Tell me what’s wrong.” With Cat’s brief explanation, she’s out the door and on the phone with Vasquez before she can even reach the street.

\------------------------------------------------------

Lucy is pacing and it’s giving Cat a headache. “You mean to tell me, they got nothing off of three different messages?” The lawyer stops her pacing long enough to glare. “Well, I’m glad I’m here. I’m going to give that worthless cop a piece of my mind.”

“Lucy.” Cat gets nothing in return, just more of the angry pacing. “Lucy!!”

The young lawyer stops her tirade and looks at Cat with concerned eyes. “The Detective has done a wonderful job so far, and she hasn’t had much to go on. I want you to calm down and be nice.” 

Lucy’s eyes bulge comically. “Did you…did Cat Grant just tell me to ‘be nice’?”

Cat sniffs indignantly, takes a sip of her drink and says “Yes. I want you to be nice. Both Detectives have explored all possibilities so far. I have their very detailed reports. I don’t want you scaring her off.”

“Wait. First, you said ‘both detectives’…then you said ‘her’.” Lucy smiled triumphantly. “You’ve got the hots for your Detective. This is awesome….” She’s about to continue with her teasing when there’s a quiet knock on the door. “I’ll get it!” Lucy runs in her bare feet with a grumbling Cat behind her, but her glee turns into genuine joy when she opens the door. “Kara??”

“Luce?” Kara questions before she’s got two arms full of happy brunette. “What are you doing here? I’m at the right apartment, right?”

“Yep! I’m Cat’s lawyer.”

The two young women break apart when they hear a throat clearing behind them, quickly followed by a “Did I miss something?”

“Um, Cat. Sorry, I…”

“Kara’s my cousin” Lucy supplies cheerfully, grabbing the shiny badge hanging around Kara’s neck to get a better look.

“By marriage” Kara blurts. “My cousin is married to Lucy’s sister.” And maybe mentioning Lois Lane in Cat’s apartment is not her best idea judging from the hard look on the older woman’s face, but honestly, Lois Lane’s sister is already in her apartment, so that has to count for something. Kara gently takes the badge from Lucy’s hands and turns to fully face Cat in the doorway. “Cat, can I have the envelope? My partner is already downstairs downloading the surveillance video so maybe we can get an ID on this guy.”

Cat’s face softens when Kara gives her full attention. She points to the carpet beside the door where the envelope still sits from her entrance earlier in the night. She can’t help but notice that Kara has left the polyester tragedy at home tonight. She’s dressed in soft, faded jeans that fit her like a glove and a long sleeved cotton shirt. Her blonde hair is down around her shoulders and her gleaming badge is hanging around her neck. And Lucy Lane is standing by her side staring at Cat with a shit-eating grin. Damn it.

Cat clears her throat again, trying to regain her composure. “You’ll let me know what you find?”

Kara smiles softly. “You’ll know as soon as I do, Cat. The building is being swept as we speak and I’ll have a uniform at the front door and also on your floor. If you need anything at all, you call me. Don’t open the door, don’t call the doorman, call me. I’ll take care of everything.”

Cat nods resolutely, but she is so relieved. Tomorrow is Saturday, so she doesn’t have to be out early. “The personal security that you mentioned, I’d like to set a meeting, if possible.”

Lucy hops in place a bit at the statement. “Ooh, ooh. Hank?” she asks Kara excitedly.

Kara chuckles at Lucy’s enthusiasm. “Yes. Hank” she says with a smile. “I’m sure I can get him set up for Monday, Cat. I’ll have him contact your assistant.”

“Oh, Cat. You’re gonna love Hank. He’s the best. And he’s totally hot.” 

Both Cat and Kara roll their eyes at that. The two women exchange a glance and a small smile. “Cat, I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.” At Cat’s small nod, she turns to leave. “Lucy, it’s good to see you. Call me so we can catch up. I’m sure Alex would love to see you too.”

“Is she still a total science dork stuck down in the basement of NCPD?” 

“She’s waiting for this envelope right now” Kara says with a nod, before she disappears around the corner.

Lucy shuts the door quietly behind her, before turning to lean against it and glance a look at Cat. “Oh, honey. Did you pick one hell of a girl to have a crush on…”

\----------------------------------------------

“There are no fingerprints, Kara. No nothing, really. Same thing as the others. The only thing I can see that’s changed is the quality of the photo. It’s jumped drastically” Alex says as she goes every inch of the photo with her stereoscope. It’s a photo of Cat’s son, Carter, as he stands on the curb outside his school.

“So my perp got a new camera to take pictures of a 12-year-old boy. Yay” Kara throws out angrily as she paces back and forth behind Alex in her lab.

“Kara!” she hears from the stairwell. Vasquez burst through the doors with a smile. “We’ve got a pic, Kara.”

Alex and Kara loom behind Vasquez as she runs back the surveillance tape to the point at which he first enters the building. “He literally came in the front door. Miss Grant definitely needs to get private security in the meantime until we catch this guy. Walks right past the doorman as he’s talking on his cell, gets on the elevator with another tenant. Looks like a normal guy” Vasquez pauses in her narration as she switches the to the feed in the hallway of Cat’s apartment. “Then, we see him in front of her door at 19:37. Walks back and forth a bit, seems to be muttering to himself, then drops the envelope, gets back on the elevator and back out the front door. He’s certainly gone from timid to bold quick. Maybe something set him off?”

Kara growls. “Can you get me some stills?”

“Already on it” the brunette detective says as she runs back the recording. “I’ll text them to you.”

“Thanks, Vas. You too, Alex…for coming in so late.”

“Anytime, sis. Where are you going?” Alex calls, seeing Kara grabbing her coat. She sees her look down at her phone when it pings with Vasquez’s texts.

“I’m going to check Cat’s building again. I’ve got a bad feeling, but now that we’ve got a pic, I can put this guy in a tight spot in a heartbeat” the blonde says, shrugging into her coat and checking her pockets for her things. 

Alex holds her hands out to her sides, as though she’s trying to keep herself steady. When she sees that she had Kara’s attention, she stops and places her hands upon her hips. “I’m sorry. Was I just wasting my time coaching you on all that detective slang??”

“We are not talking about this right now” she responds with an exasperated smile.

“Vas and I have spent many hours researching classic detective movies for you Kara.”

“No, you did that because you’re both dorks” Kara bites out with a tight smile.

All she gets in return is hands more firmly on hips and an eyebrow rising so high it’s almost touching her hairline.

“Fine!” Kara gives in with a flailing of hands. She pulls her dark coat further around her body, flips up the collar and strides quickly towards the door, tucking her glasses away as she goes. She holds the doorknob firmly in her left hand and looks back over her shoulder with a scowl. Her blue eyes shine in the dim light of the bullpen. Her voice is low and dangerous and Alex almost jumps out of her shoes in glee when Kara says, “I’ve got a bad feeling, but now that I’ve got his face, I’m gonna put that perp right behind the eight ball.”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s late by the time Kara makes her way back to the building, late enough for the streets to be almost empty and the good coffee shops to be closed, but she can’t stop herself from going back. Her bad feeling still lingers and she wants to be close. 

Her phone vibrates with a new message, a reply from Cat. She texted her as soon as she left the station earlier, letting her know they had a photo, but not much else. She thought at the time that the CEO had probably already called it a night, but wanted to honor her promise to let her know any info that they dug up from the surveillance video. Cat’s reply is short and to the point and makes Kara’s heart stutter in her chest, ‘I’m awake. Come up if you’re nearby’. 

She checks in with the uniform stationed on the street in front of the building, dropping off a hot cup of coffee with the grateful officer. No sign of anything or anyone out of the ordinary so far is his report. She gets the same from the officer on Cat’s floor and makes her way to the end of the hall. The door opens before she can knock and the older woman beckons her inside with gentle flourish of her hand. She steps in, looks around quickly at the lavish space, but is distracted almost immediately as Cat steps into her line of sight, calling lightly over her shoulder for her to follow her into the kitchen. She’s barefoot, dressed in a pair of dark yoga pants and an oversized shirt which falls off one slim shoulder. Her hair is damp and curlier than Kara has seen it before and god, she’s beautiful, and the overwhelming thought makes her take a stuttering breath. Damn Alex and Vas for teasing her so much.

She’s brought out of her thoughts by a question. “Can I get you a drink, Detective?” she hears from across the kitchen that probably cost more than her college education. 

“Yes, thanks. Whatever you’re having is great.” She’s proud of herself for getting that out without stuttering. The alcohol doesn’t do anything for her, but she’s learned over the years to appreciate the rich tastes on her tongue and the clunky feel of a rocks glass in her hand. It always seems to put people at ease as well, so she hardly ever declines. 

She tears her gaze away from the woman to look back at the penthouse apartment again, her eyes drawn immediately to the balcony which stretches the length of the living area. Floor to ceiling windows offer up what she imagines is a grand view of the city and it reminds her of who she’s about to share a drink with. The Queen of all Media. The head of one of the largest media conglomerates in the country, a woman who fought her way up from the desk of a personal assistant to sit, and live, at the literal top of National City. The woman who was now standing in front of her offering her up a drink and giving her an inquisitive gaze.

“S-sorry” she does stutter out this time, winces at herself in the process, but regains her composure when she sees the kind smile being offered her way. “Thank you, Cat. I hope I didn’t wake you with my message earlier.” She raises the amber liquid to her lips and hums a bit as the rich taste explodes in her mouth. She doesn’t feel the pleasant burn that she hears other people talk about, but she enjoys the familiarity of it anyway.

“Not at all. I usually use these nights to unwind and I’ve always been a bit of a night-owl. You’re working late as well. No big plans for the weekend? Shouldn’t you be out and about with friends? Boyfriend?” Cat questions innocently, but the slight upturn on the corner of her mouth gives away her playfulness.

That flutter is back in Kara’s stomach, the same one she felt on the balcony outside of Cat’s office a few days ago. She knows she’s being teased and Kara can’t help but let the smile break out on her face before giving a wry shake of her head. “I think you enjoy trying to fluster me, Miss Grant” she says, giving a playful smirk of her own. 

“Well, you tend to turn a lovely shade of pink, Detective” Cat says through a wide smile. “And you do look good in pink.”

Kara tries to hide her smile and her blush behind the chilled glass in her hand, but fails in both attempts, deciding to embrace the flirting for what it is. For once in her life, she’s glad her sister and her insufferable partner are right about something. They’re attracted to each other. It’s obvious and exhilarating and overwhelming and absolutely nothing can happen while she is still investigating Cat’s case, so she gives the kindest smile she can before clearing her throat. “Why don’t we sit so I can show you what we’ve found?”

Cat responds with a grateful hum and points Kara outside to the balcony and the young detective quickly realizes it’s to make sure her young son doesn’t overhear anything before she gets a chance to tell him herself. They settle together on patio furniture that Kara is sure is more comfortable than her own couch and both set their drinks down upon the glass topped table in front of them. Kara takes a deep breath before delivering what she knows will be the most upsetting of the information she has to share. “The envelope that he dropped off today contained a picture of your son, Cat.” She pauses before handing her cell phone over to let Cat look at the picture she had snapped earlier. “The actual photo is still in forensics at the moment. We’re running every possible test to make sure we don’t miss any trace evidence.”

She watches as Cat’s earlier confidence slips and she feels her heart clench in response. “This is at his school” Cat says, her voice barely a whisper, before handing the phone back. “God. Why does he have to focus on him? Why not just me? That would make this so much more bearable.”

Kara waits for a moment before responding, watching Cat fiddle nervously with her own fingers in her lap. She starts speaking slowly, softly… “We have a picture of him now. It won’t be long before he’s apprehended. In the meantime, the security detail that we’ve talked about can be with your son around the clock. The moment he steps out of your door, you will have eyes on him more competent than the president’s men. I promise you that.”

The older woman’s eyes catch hers and she knows that she is gauging her sincerity, wants to know how serious she is about this whole situation. She swipes her phone to the stills Vasquez sent her earlier. “This is him. We have him in several points of the building, from the moment he entered. He’s getting antsy and that is what is going to lead me directly to him.” She hands the phone over, silently hoping that maybe there’s a glint of recognition in Cat’s eyes. A name or even a hint at a name, could end this search tonight, but she doesn’t see a positive reaction. Cat slowly shakes her head back and forth. 

“I’ve never seen him before” she says quietly, handing the phone back to Kara despondently and Kara feels helpless in that moment. She shouldn’t. She shouldn’t feel so strongly about woman she hardly knows and a kid she’s never even met, but that same clenching feeling catches her heart again and she stutters out another long breath. 

“I’ve contacted Hank. He’s going to call your assistant first thing Monday morning.” Kara stops, knowing that’s she’s about to step too far, but not caring in that instance. “If you feel uneasy about going out this weekend, I want you to call me, Cat. I’ll accompany you and Carter wherever you need to go.”

Cat looks up sharply. “That’s not your job, Detective. You’re not a security detail and I’m sure you have better things to do.”

Without realizing what she’s doing, Kara reaches out to the other woman’s hand, grasping tightly. “It’s my job to keep you safe, to find who is doing this to you. I will do everything in my power to end this for you.”

The fingers she’s grasping shift and tighten and their eyes lock for what seems like hours, but in reality is only seconds. The moment is broken when a shrill ring is heard from right inside the door. Cat startles, releasing Kara’s hand before quickly standing. “I’m sorry” she says… “that must be the office. If you’ll excuse me for just a minute.” Kara stands as well, content to wait, and grabs her forgotten drink from the table in front of her. She sips at the glass, the strong taste diluted a small bit by the melting ice and wanders to the edge of the balcony, resting her arms upon the concrete railing. 

She tries not to eavesdrop on Cat’s conversation, acknowledging that even if she did, she wouldn’t understand a bit of it. The woman runs a media conglomerate and she’s just a cop and…nevermind. She gives her head a quick shake to clear her thoughts, to focus her attention outward…away from the distracting blonde inside the immaculate penthouse apartment with her perfect lips and beautiful eyes and voice and... She tugs her glasses off her face and takes the last sip of her drink, waiting for the barrage of city sounds to cloud her mind. When it doesn’t come, she quickly realizes that the usual loud roar of traffic and people wouldn’t be prevalent at this hour and she relaxes, lets her senses reach out. 

Nothing but background noise…for a while. She closes her eyes. She can hear Cat inside the apartment, murmuring into her phone. She’s in another room, maybe a home office? …and she’s sure the sharp, enunciated words would be much louder if it not for her sleeping son right down the hall. She imagines her saying the same words in that glass office of hers. It wouldn’t sound quite as nice, she’s sure.

She focuses outwards and immediately hears what sounds like the click of a camera. The snap of a shutter is unmistakable, even in the digital age. Her eyes pop open and she straightens, searching the buildings nearby with the vision this planet has blessed her with. Nothing to the left, the buildings are too far away for even the best available… but to the right, she stops. Just a few stories shorter, one block up, a figure dressed in all black is on the roof. The camera, from what she can tell, is probably the same top of the line model that took the photo of the boy, but with a larger lens, to compensate for the distance. She rests her arms more firmly against the concrete of the balcony. She has him…and she smiles.

Kara slips her glasses back on, ready to make her leave and catch the bastard that is causing this heartache in the first place…when a soft voice stops her in her tracks. “Who are you?” she hears from the balcony doorway. She turns quickly to find a slight boy, curly brown hair falling into his eyes…in a faded tee shirt and superman pajama pants.

“Um…my name is Ka…” she’s interrupted before she can finish her introduction, itching to leave, but knowing this introduction needs some special care.

“Are you the police woman who’s helping my mom?” the boy asks softly.

Kara waits for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Yes. My name is Kara. You must be Carter. Your mom has told me about you.”

“She has?” he says, taking a small step out onto the balcony. “Can I see your badge?”

“Of course, Mr. Grant” Kara says, gently steering the boy back inside, away from the invasive threat looming outside that balcony. They settle on the immaculate couch in the living room and she pulls the badge from her belt for the young boy to inspect. 

“Wow. This is awesome. How long have you been a cop? Shouldn’t you have a partner? Have you met the mayor?”

The questions were shot out quickly and Kara takes a moment to think before replying…“Um…I’ve been a detective for over a year now, but only four months in National City. Before that, I was in Metropolis. I do have a partner, but I haven’t met the mayor…yet.”

“Metropolis?? Oh my god. Have you seen Superman? Have you met Superman??” Carter bounces excitedly on the couch.

Kara laughs, the flutters back in her stomach, but for a completely different reason. “Yes. I have met Superman. He’s actually a good friend of my cousin’s.”

And then they are lost, in conversation about Superman, about his exploits and about Kara’s time in Metropolis before moving to National City. They are in the middle of an argument over the best strategy to begin Halo 5 when Cat interrupts the conversation. “I see you two have met…”

“Mom! Did you know Kara has met Superman??”

“No, Carter. I didn’t know that. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”, she asks impatiently.

“But Mom!” Carter protests immediately.

“I’m sure Detective Danvers would be happy to elaborate on her time with the Superman when it’s not past midnight.”

His face visibly deflates and Kara doesn’t have the heart to do anything but say… “I’ll come back at a better time to talk about Superman and Halo. I promise.” 

His face lights up and she is beyond startled when he launches into her with a fierce hug. His mom seems to be just as startled as she gives him a quick kiss and ushers him down the hall to his bedroom. She returns a moment later and falters for words for a moment before starting. “He, um, … he doesn’t usually take to strangers. What did you say to him?” Her eyes hold only curiosity and Kara immediately understands the extra layer of protection that Cat holds on her son. 

“I…I’m not usually good with kids. My sister says I treat them too much like adults.” Her hands shake as she says it, but she’s just being honest.

Cat hums. “Maybe that’s it then.”

Kara moves quickly towards the front door, but already knows that the time she spent with Carter had given her unsub the time to get away. “Cat, I’d like to meet again with you in the morning if that’s possible.”

“Of course. Just contact me tomorrow, Detective.”

Kara stops, halfway out the door, before she turns back to say, "When this is over, Cat. You can call me Kara."

"I'll consider it, Detective."


	6. Chapter 6

The thump of her head against the wood of her front door gives Kara a sense of closure to the weird night she just experienced. The cool surface feels good against her forehead, grounds her and lets her know that she can relax, at least for a little while, while she figures out what to do next. She had gotten to the alley behind the building he was in mere seconds after leaving Cat’s apartment, dropping from her roof like a stone and using her speed to get there, hoping that she hadn’t spooked him as much as she thought. No luck. Her time with Carter had given him the one chance he had to get away from her. He was gone, probably just minutes before, but long enough for her not to be able to check every direction. Even if she could’ve caught him, he probably erased the pictures already, leaving her with no evidence for arrest. 

She pushes her door open with a sigh, ready to stuff her face with the leftovers she knows are waiting in her fridge before she passes out until morning, knows she’ll have better ideas with the light of day. The combination of pepperoni and soy sauce hits her in the face and she begrudgingly smiles. “Do the two of you not have a home? Or is it just my company you crave?” she laughs, realizing her sister and partner are lounging on her couch, pizza boxes and Chinese take-out containers stacked haphazardly on the coffee table, stiffening sharply when she notices another slight figure lounging in her armchair. 

“It’s take-out night, dork. We can’t help it if you had a date.” Alex finishes that sentence gleefully before lifting a forkful of lo-mein high above her smiling face, lowering it slowly into her mouth before humming with satisfaction. She reaches her hand sharply out to her left where Lucy Lane grabs the container and stabs her own fork deep into the noodles. “Hi Kara” she mumbles out between her mouthfuls.

Kara’s first reaction is to argue, but the blush rushes up her neck and lights her face up like a Christmas tree. Vas, like the amazing detective she is, notices it immediately and pounces, hopping over the back of the couch and rounding on Kara with an evil smile. “So…baby Danvers, give us the scoop. What kind of lip gloss does the Queen of all Media wear on Fridays? Hmmm?”

Kara huffs out a sharp breath through her nose, willing the blush to leave and give her a break. She takes a deep breath and smiles. “Come on Susie. You know I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Very good, Kara. Very good” Vasquez smiles, holding out her closed fist to her partner with a warm smile. Kara bumps it with her own and pulls the shorter woman into her for a quick hug. 

“This is like a hallmark family moment!” Alex yells from her position on the couch, scrambling to get her phone from underneath a pizza box. “I need a picture for mom.” Lucy laughs heartily as she looks on at the family drama. 

The two partners break apart and Vasquez ducks behind the kitchen island with a quick yell, “You know I’m scared of your mom, Alex. Stop playing.”

Alex erupts into laughter and Kara rounds on the coffee table to get a plateful of food, stopping quickly to give Lucy a hug. “Vas, if you’re done cowering, I’ve got news. I saw our perp tonight, from Cat Grant’s balcony. I’m afraid I may have spooked him.”

Her head pops up from behind the island like a game of whack-a-mole, “You saw him?? How? With your super Spidey senses?”

“Wait,” Lucy says in a hush. “Vas knows?”

Kara rolls her eyes as she chews happily on a slice of deep-dish pepperoni. “She knows. She and Alex have been together for years.” After a happy confirmative nod from Alex, she continues. “Yes, I saw him on a rooftop about a block away with his fancy new camera. I think I gave myself away though…just as I was about to high-tail it out of there and follow him, Cat’s son showed up and distracted me.”

Surprisingly, both her sister and her partner just nod and take in the information without any quips about step-moms or second weddings. “So, how’s the kid?” Alex asks quietly. Her eyes meet Kara’s for a moment before she breaks. “It’s just that some of the tabloids have said that he’s not quite normal, but…they’re total assholes, I know. I’m sure he’s totally fine.”

Kara sees Lucy’s eyes turn hard and she stays quiet for a while, thinks back about how she was as a 13-year-old ‘not normal’ kid and is again so thankful for the wonderful family that took her in, the sister that tolerated her and showed her how to fit in and be herself at the same time and the foster mom that loves her no matter what unexpected life goal she manages to throw in the mix. Then, she thinks about Cat Grant. The devastatingly beautiful woman who runs one of the most successful companies in the country while maintaining a household for a 12-year-old boy who loves Superman and Halo. Her heart swells. “He’s…he seems like a great kid. Maybe, just a little shy. He asked about my badge and about Metropolis…and about Superman.”

Alex smiles, seeing the warmth behind her sister’s eyes. “Little does he know…”

\--------------------------------------------

It’s mid-morning when Kara’s phone rings, vibrating on her night stand and breaking her out of her slumber. Her house guests hadn’t left until the early morning hours, having started to catch up on her DVR backlog. She reaches for her phone blindly and brings it to her ear, “Danvers.”

“Detective, this is Cat Grant.”

Kara sits up in bed stiffly, her head swimming a bit from her deep sleep. “Are…is everything ok, Cat?”

\---------------------------------------------

As she steps through the door of the museum, Kara is immediately taken back to her younger years on this planet. There are impressive mineral formations to her left and right and towering reconstructions of dinosaurs to her front. There’s also the overwhelming smell of…french fries?

“McDonald’s is a proud sponsor of the National City Natural Science Museum” Cat laughs from beside her, having seen Kara’s confused expression when they came in the door. “I warned you. It’s an experience for the senses.”

Kara joins in her laughter before replying. “It’s nice. I haven’t been to a place like this since I was thirteen.”

“Carter calls it the ‘french fries and science’ effect…”

Kara laughs again…throwing her head back, her long blonde hair trails around her shoulders and back. She’s in jeans and a t-shirt, with a comfy gray hoodie tied around her waist in case she needs it and Cat can’t take her eyes off of her. The CEO had called her that morning with the intention of just letting the detective know where they were headed, but once they started talking, Kara coming with them had seemed like the most logical solution in the world. After that, Cat struggles to keep up with her son and her detective. They seem to float from one exhibit to another, Carter pointing out all of his favorites and Kara taking it all in stride, then leading when they enter into the astronomy section. She drags him from point to point as Cat looks on in wonder as her usually reserved son clings to another like he does to her.

“Mom! Kara knows all the constellations. Can we do the planetarium show?”

\-----------------------------------------------

“Is this…usually something you guys do?” Kara asks, reclining comfortably besides Cat, her young son on the opposite side of the older woman. She’s a bit unnerved to see the CEO in her dark, skin tight jeans and sweater, but she thinks she’s done pretty good in holding her own.

Cat hums. “Honestly, no. We’ve only seen the planetarium show once before. I think your interest reminded him.”

“I’m sorry” Kara whispers softly, turning her head towards Cat’s left ear. 

Cat turns her head slowly as the lights dim around them. “It’s ok” she whispers back, her lips only inches away from Kara’s. Their eyes meet in the dim light of the reflected star systems.

The narrator’s deep, booming voice surrounds them, bringing them back to the present and the moment is lost.

\-------------------------------------------------

“Mom! Can we see the garden from the roof before we go?” Carter asks excitedly as they exit the planetarium theater. 

“Of course, darling” she replies, without thought. “I’m sorry, Detective. We didn’t mean to keep you this long. I’m sure we’ll be fine, if you’d like to go.”

Kara pauses, staring at Carter’s back as he waits for the elevator to the top floor of the observatory. “No, I’d like to come, if that’s ok. I’ve never seen the view.” She scowls at herself a bit as they ascend, knowing the decision is based mainly upon her selfish need to be near the irresistible woman and her son. 

They walk out of the elevator to the gorgeous colors of a National City sunset. As they walk towards the rooftop overlook, Kara thinks that this may be her new favorite place. The setting sun is shining beautifully through the curly locks of Cat and Carter’s hair and she thinks there may not be a more perfect spot in the whole city to see the sun fade from the day, to let herself be free from the constant worry that surrounds her.

Suddenly, a dark shadow clouds her view, grabbing at Carter and pulling him to the side. She hears the boy gasp before a desperate voice reaches out. “Stay where you are, freak.” 

She hears Cat inhale a stuttering breath before she reaches out an arm to stop her forward movement. “Cat, stop” Kara says quietly. She lowers her head, scanning him over the top of her glasses to see if he has a weapon. He does, but it’s tucked into the back of his pants, with the safety on.

She hears the older woman whimper, but she quiets when Kara’s hand squeezes firmly around the left side of her waist. 

Kara stays put but catches her target’s eyes sharply. “Let him go and we’ll work this out. There’s no reason to involve him.” She glares into his eyes and can’t help but let her own flare quickly to red.

“What are you?” he all but shrieks. “You saw me from the roof in the dead of night. Now, this. I just want my revenge…not some freak show stand-off.” 

Kara can feel his heart beat in her ears…and she knows that he’s beyond help. The only way to solve this is to confuse him or to bombard him. “What do you want? Why are you holding him like this?” she speaks slowly but loud, trying to draw him out…

“She did this” he spits out. “With her stupid words on her stupid talk show. My wife. She was fine and our son was fine. Before her. She…did this. She brought this out. Made her leave me and never look back.”

Kara feels Cat clenching behind her and knows that if her son wasn’t in this guy’s clutches, she’d be having a field day with him and his accusations…tearing him to shreds over the apparent reference to one of Cat Grant’s famous series on abuse in the household. 

“I’m sure Cat would be amenable to sitting down and talking about your situation, if you’d just give a little info…” Kara stiffened as she saw his hands tighten around Carter’s shoulders. “Or…why don’t you just let him go, before I have to hurt you” she says with a low growl, her shoulders curling low. She feels Cat’s hands squeezing tight around her biceps. She knows it’s the worst idea in the world, to reveal herself to the Queen of all Media…but she can’t even fathom not saving this precious boy from harm.

His eyes narrow in anger. “What are you gonna do, cop?” he sneers, jerking the boy backwards, almost flailing him over the railing of the six story building. 

“This” she says lightly, before breezing out of Cat’s grasp in a dash of light. Carter is her first goal. She sets him upon the concrete right next to his mom before returning to her target, relieving him of his weapon and handcuffing him to the exposed pipe on the far side of the roof in less than the blink of an eye. She’s standing over him in an instant and he’s slack jawed in response.

“What are you?” he murmurs between swollen lips.

“My name is Detective Kara Danvers.”


	7. Chapter 7

“What’s wrong with her?” Alex questions, after sliding into the booth next to her girlfriend. Vasquez takes another long pull from her beer before glancing over to her partner, whose forehead is planted firmly on the table of their cozy corner in their favorite bar. 

“She’s an idiot,” Vasquez says with a huff, eliciting a groan from her partner. “She’s all dizzy for a dame, got sentimental and showed her full hand to catch her perp.”

Kara lifts her head and glares. “You sound ridiculous when you talk like that.” The table jars with the impact of Kara’s forehead returning to its previous spot, but not before she gets flipped off with a dazzling smile. 

“Wait…Kara! You didn’t,” Alex hisses, reaches across the table and gives her sister’s ponytail a quick yank. “What the hell are you thinking? She’s the fucking Queen of all Media! She’ll drag you out of the superhero closet kicking and screaming.”

“I’m not a superhero, Alex,” Kara mumbles, finally raising her head to look her sister in the eye. “She can’t turn me into something I’m not.”

“You know what I mean, Kara,” Alex grits out between her clenched teeth. “Well, what did she say? What happened?”

Kara rests her head back against the cushion behind her, closes her eyes and remembers the shock she saw in those beautiful eyes. “She didn’t say anything, really. She was grateful. She hugged me, so hard, and told me thank you and not to worry.” Kara opens her eyes finally, but looks down at the surface of the table. “That’s it, that’s all she said. Look, I really just want to go to sleep. Vas can fill you in on what happened, ok?”

Alex is so worked up, she can barely sit still in her seat, but seeing how deflated her sister is, she tries to calm herself. “Ok, Kara, but we’re going to have to talk about this,” Alex says softly. “We’ll need to make sure she understands how sensitive this is.”

Kara smiles softly, “Always got my back, don’t you, sis?”

“We’ve all got your back, Danvers,” she hears from her partner. Vas reaches out a hand to Kara, squeezes tight, thumbs locked on top. “Cat Grant won’t know what hit her if we all have to jump in to help. Lucy seems like she’s wound like a top. She’ll come in handy if we need help and she’s Cat’s friend, right?”

Kara’s smile fades a bit. “Yeah, they’re friends and Lucy is her lawyer. I’m sure she’ll help if I explain the situation.”

Alex is calmer now, searches her sister’s face and finds something she wasn’t expecting. “Being exposed is not what you’re really worried about, is it?” Beside her, Vas quirks her mouth to try and hide her smile, but Kara sees it anyway and visibly flushes.

“Um…it’s just that we, uh…we get along really well and Carter is, like, the coolest kid. And, I think, that we, might have…,” she stops her stuttering to take a deep breath, looks to the two women, ready for her teasing, but all she sees are gentle smiles. It gives her the courage to wrap up her rambling quickly. “I think she…kind of, likes me too.”

“Well then,” Alex throws out with glee, “looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

Kara fidgets with her hands for the entire elevator ride. When the only other occupant gets off five floors before her stop, she exhales gratefully. She’s been afraid of hyperventilating the entire time, and even though it probably wouldn’t affect her, she doesn’t want to draw attention to herself. She brushes her hands over the sleeves of her blazer once again, trying to rid herself of the last droplets of rain that she had dashed through to get to the building. She just missed the worst of it and can hear the increasing rumble of thunder from miles away. It’s going to be a rainy weekend in National City.

She steps off on the fortieth floor and turns toward that immaculate glass office in the corner. She’s a couple of minutes early, so she checks in with Cat’s assistant and waits. There aren’t many people still here this late in the day and sees that even the assistant was just gathering her things to leave for the day. It only takes a few moments before she’s ushered inside and now she’s face to face with the woman who had occupied all of her thoughts for the past week. She kept herself busy with her arrest, gathering evidence and doing research into what drove him to take such drastic actions, but keeping busy never kept her mind from wondering about Cat and Carter. She wanted to know how they were, to know if Carter was ok, to know what Cat was thinking and it was driving her crazy.

She draws herself back to the present as she takes the few steps towards the CEO’s immaculate desk, glancing behind it to the impressive display of monitors littering the wall. And then, there is the woman herself, one hip propped up against the side of the white desk watching Kara with a friendly smile. She’s gorgeous in a bright blue dress that fits her body like a glove and even at this late hour of the day, her eyes are bright and welcoming and Kara can’t look away. 

“Detective,” Cat says lowly, as though she senses how skittish Kara is right at that moment. “I didn’t think I would see you again now that you’ve caught the bad guy.”

Kara swallows thickly and glances out of the large windows in Cat’s office to see rain sheeting down outside and a streak of lightning lighting up the sky. She starts speaking as she’s still staring out at the downpour, “I wanted to see how you are doing, Cat. And Carter, how is he?” She swears she can feel the woman moving closer and when she turns her head back, Cat is perched on the edge of her desk right in front of her. 

“He’s doing better,” she says with a shudder. “I won’t lie, he was shaken up. I stayed home for a couple of days and your little care package helped a lot. You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. He really loves all of it.”

Kara feels the blush rising in her face. She had sent the kid a couple of astronomy books that she had loved as a kid and a replica detective’s badge that looked almost like her own. “I wanted to. He’s a great kid.” Kara stops, realizes that she’s fiddling with her fingers again and yanks them down to her sides. “Um, how are you doing? Did you get a chance to look over the information I sent you?”

“Yes, I did. Thank you for sending it over. It really helped me to understand what his motives were, even though there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Or that I would do, it’s obvious he had his wife and child stuck in a terrible way of life before she got up the courage to leave.”

“I’m sure you’ve helped many more. I watched the entire series you did on abuse in the home. It was wonderful work, Cat.” Kara hears the older woman hum in agreement and she pauses. She wants to keep talking about how they’re doing, to make sure there’s nothing else she can do, but she knows that the elephant in the room needs to be acknowledged. She feels it before she sees it and she glances back out the window seconds before a bolt of lightning strikes nearby. The rumble of thunder is almost immediate and she jerks her head back around to catch Cat’s eyes. They are sparkling and fierce and she knows she has just unknowingly started the conversation. “Cat, what happened the other night…”

“You don’t have to worry, Detective,” Cat said quickly, glancing behind Kara to make sure her employees have already filtered out for the weekend. “What happened Saturday night is between us. Only us. I promise you that and I always keep my promises.”

Kara huffs out a relieved laugh, “You…you don’t even have questions, I mean...you're just ok with it? Just like that?”

Cat smirks and Kara feels the tension of the past week leave her body. “Well, when you said you were Clark Kent’s cousin, I did assume Kansas instead of Krypton, but I don’t think anyone would blame me for making the mistake.”

Kara gapes like a fish out of water. “You…Clark…what?”

“Oh, please. I was there when that farm boy first snapped on his tights. Who do you think taught him how to use hair gel?”

\--------------------------------------------------

Kara flips the collar of her coat up around her neck as they step out of the bar late that night. Her sister and her partner are happy that everything is settled and she’s at least relieved that she and Cat have an understanding. It may not be everything she wants out of the situation, but it’s a start. She spots their cab pulling to the curb and pulls her sister into a one-armed hug, promises to call about lunch tomorrow and gives Vas a quick shove into the back of the cab that leaves the both of them giggling.

She feels the raindrops start to fall again as she starts walking home, reminding her of her upcoming weekend without the sun that usually invigorates her. She looks up to see the rain falling in the glare of the streetlights and does a double-take when she spots the logo of the CatCo building shining in the skyline. Kara stops walking and stares for a bit, before turning on her heel and heading in the other direction.

\-----------------------------------------------------

She stares at her shoes, watching as the water drips off of her into a puddle in the hallway in front of Cat’s door. When Kara raises her head, she has a moment of panic and wonders what the hell she’s doing. It’s past 10 o’clock at night and she’s soaking wet from the rain and standing outside of a door uninvited, but in that moment she knows that there’s nowhere else she wants to be. She takes a deep breath to settle her nerves, raises her hand to knock on the door.

It’s almost a minute before the door cracks open to reveal Cat Grant in all of her dressed down glory. She’s in loose striped pajama pants and a soft cotton shirt. Her hair is damp again, with a pair of black rimmed glasses sitting on her nose and Kara can’t imagine her being more beautiful than she is right now, not even in her designer dresses and shoes and sitting at the top of the empire she’s built for herself.

“Cat,” she starts, having absolutely zero idea what she’s going to say or do or how to explain herself. “I was, just, um, walking by and I thought I’d check in on Carter…but it’s late and I must be disturbing you.” She stops, swallows what feels like a lump in her throat. Cat has an indulgent but intrigued smile on her face and Kara blurts, “God, you make me nervous.”

“Kara.”

Kara’s head snaps up and her mouth drops open. She’s never heard her name fall from those lips, but knows now that she will never tire of hearing it. “Yeah?”

“Carter isn’t home. I think we actually spoke about that this afternoon, so maybe there’s another reason you stopped by?” Cat asks, as she pulls the glasses from her face and drops them on the table near the door. She waves Kara in with a flourish of her hand and shuts the door quietly behind her, before leaning lightly against it. 

“I…oh, yes. You did mention that and I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you, but I…,” Kara stops talking when she notices that Cat is staring at her lips. She’s staring at her lips and biting at her own bottom lip between her teeth and the nervousness deflates from her body like a balloon losing air. Kara steps forward with quiet purpose, threads her fingers through Cat’s damp hair and brings their lips together before any other words can be spoken and they are lost. 

It only takes a handful of seconds for both of them to be gasping for air, their hands roaming, pulling them impossibly closer together and dipping back into deep kisses. Cat lets her head thump back against the door as she feels Kara trail her lips down her throat and she stiffens. “God, Kara…we should stop. You’re so young…,” she hisses as Kara bites down where her neck and shoulder meet. “I’m almost twice your age, I have two sons and I work more than I’m home. I’m the last person you should be with.”

Kara pulls back, fixes her face with the most incredulous look she can manage, “I’m an alien from another planet.”

“That’s a really good point,” Cat rushes out after a moment, pulling Kara’s lips back to hers.


	8. Chapter 8

Kara wakes to the feeling of soft fingers running across her forehead, her nose and then her lips. She presses a kiss to them then, before she hears a low chuckle and they pick up their path to trace a line down her neck, then along the ridges of her collarbones. She keeps her eyes closed and leans her head over, burying her nose in that gorgeous blonde hair to her left, inhaling the smell of her shampoo and the scent of the perfume that has followed her since the first day she met Cat. It’s gone in an instant and she feels soft lips meet hers and she knows that she is already addicted to the feeling.

“Hi,” she says in a whisper when they part. Her eyes are open now and the moonlight spilling in through the uncovered window reflects in Cat’s eyes, making her look almost surreal in the darkness of the bedroom. The woman’s lips curl in a smile and Kara vows to never leave this spot.

“Hello, Detective,” Cat says with a playful grin. “I’m sorry I woke you, but I can’t seem to keep my hands to myself.” True to her words, Cat finds Kara’s hand laying across her stomach, picks it up to press their fingers together at the points, then sliding them in between to clasp them together. 

“That’s quite alright,” Kara says through a smile, “you can wake me anytime. Please do, in fact.”

Cat ducks her head to rest it in the crook of the young woman’s neck for a while, still playing with her fingers. “I’m definitely not complaining, but I feel like maybe we skipped a few steps…in getting to know each other, I mean.”

Kara chuckles. “I prefer to call it ‘progressive’ dating.” She gets a pinch for her effort at humor and squirms away from tickling fingers. “Ask me anything, Cat. I want you to know,” she finishes softly.

“I don’t want you to think I’m digging…I mean, I am a journalist, but that’s not what this is.” She gets a small nod of confirmation from Kara before continuing, “Where…no, wait. How...no, that’s not it either,” Cat shakes her head in frustration, not able to express herself effectively. “When did you come here? With Clark? You must have been just a baby.”

Kara smiles softly, turns so that she is leaning her head on her hand, facing Cat. “It’s actually quite the opposite,” she starts before giving the other woman an abridged version of her voyage to Earth, her purpose and the delays she had along the way. “So, when I finally arrived, Kal, or Clark, definitely didn’t need any protection, especially from a 13-year-old girl. He took me to the Danvers and to my foster sister, Alex. They helped me to adapt, to keep the powers that your sun gives me from taking over my life and I grew up. That’s it. The rest you already know. School, Metropolis PD and then I made Detective.”

“You were stuck in space for twenty-three years?” Cat blurts, unable to hold it in any longer.

“I was in stasis for most of the time,” she stops for a moment, and Cat lifts her fingers to wipe the frown away from the corners of her mouth. It makes Kara smile and she pulls those fingers to her lips once again, laying soft kisses on each digit. “I do remember waking up a few times, but it’s really hazy. It was just dark and quiet. It never lasted long.”

“So…you’ve never wanted to follow in your cousin’s footsteps?”

“I…I have, so many times, but the Danvers…they sacrificed so much for me to have a normal life. I never want to take that for granted, even though I have that same pull, to help people. Kal says he resisted as long as he could, but he it took someone he cared for being in trouble to break his resolve,” she stops, pensive for a few moments. “That’s the reason I do what I do. I can help people in so many different ways, most of the time without ever using my powers.”

“Except, Carter,” Cat recalls, a grateful smile upon her face. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough, Kara. He’s…my life, if anything would have happened to him, I don’t know what I would do.”

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore, I promise you. I’ll always be there to protect you and that precious boy. He promised to get me through Halo 5 after all, that’s priceless,” she says and Cat can see the playfulness in her eyes and never wants to look away.

“You’re amazing,” Cat says quietly. “Carter doesn’t remember, by the way. I think it’s the shock of the situation, but he just thinks you took the guy out. I think it’s best we keep it that way.”

“Oh good,” Kara lets out a relieved breath. “I don’t want it to be confusing for him.”

Cat threads her fingers through the young detective’s hair, pushing it behind her ear, then running her thumb across the soft skin of her cheek. “I’m so sorry you had to go through coming here all alone…but I’m really glad you’re here now.”

Kara runs her free hand up the smooth skin of Cat’s arm, over her shoulder and behind her neck to pull her close. When their lips are only a breath apart, she says, “I don’t want to be anywhere else,” before losing herself in those kisses again.

\------------------------------------------------------

Cat is decimating the layout in front of her with her red pen when she’s interrupted by her assistant, “Miss Grant? Your 10:15 is here.”

“I wasn’t aware that I had a 10:15, therefore they can wait,” she finishes with a flourish that leaves more red on the plastic than anything else.

“Oh, I don’t mind waiting, but could I do it in here? Your IT guy won’t stop staring,” the voice she hears causes her head to snap up and she meets Kara’s smile with one of her own. Realizing what her young lover just said, she swivels in her desk chair just enough to give the little hobbit a glare that could wither plants. His eyes bulge in a comical way and she gives him a sharp point with her index finger. Her scare tactic works immediately and he vanishes towards the breakroom so fast that papers are left drifting to the floor after him. She lets out a happy wiggle and looks back to Kara, who is rolling her eyes indulgently. 

“We need you in the interrogation room.”

Cat lets out a light snort as she rounds her desk and reaches out for Kara’s hand, pulling her quickly out onto her sunny balcony, “You can’t afford me.”

“Mmmm…,” Kara hums as their lips meet and she places a few light kisses down the side of Cat’s neck when the older woman circles her arms around her shoulders.

“I didn’t think I’d see you until tonight.”

“I finally plowed through all my paperwork, so I decided to take a break. Vas owes me big time, leaving all of her reports for me to finish so she could whisk my sister away for a week. The nerve,” she says haughtily, but with a smile that gives her away.

“They get back tonight? Do you want to wait until tomorrow to come over so you can see them?” Cat questions, knowing how close the two sisters are.

“I’ll see her Monday. I promised Carter we would make you breakfast in the morning. He’s already texted me twice today,” Kara smiles. This is the first weekend that they are spending together, all three of them. The two women decided early on that Kara would only stay over when Carter was with his father until he got more comfortable with them dating. It’s been six weeks now of a few dinners together during the week and stolen nights when they are alone. Neither woman can wait to be able to spend more time together.

“He is completely gone on you,” Cat says in awe. “I think he likes you better than me,” she pouts, which earns her more contact with the soft lips she craves.

“Ugh,” they hear from the doorway. They pull away slightly to see Lucy standing at the entrance to the balcony, furiously typing on her phone. “Do the two of you ever come up for air? It’s disgustingly annoying to those of us who are single.”

“Lucy…,” Kara starts, but is taken aback when she just gets one raised finger. Lucy raises her phone to her ear and starts talking, “Clark? Yeah, it’s Lucy. Look, you have held out on me long enough. I want my cut. First you and Lois, now Cat has one. I want a ridiculously attractive member of your family delivered to me in National City ASAP.” 

\---------------------------------------------------

Kara rounds the corner of the dilapidated building. She hears the gunfire up ahead and knows that they could stumble upon her at any moment so she checks her weapon one more time before darting forward to crouch behind an overturned vehicle. She takes a deep breath before darting forward again and spots her target. Suddenly, her vision goes green and an explosion tosses her in the air. “Did you just blow me up?” she asks incredulously.

Carter is laughing so hard that his face is beet red. He drops his controller on the floor and holds his hands over his stomach, rolling back on the couch, giggling uncontrollably. She immediately starts attacking him with the closest couch pillow. “You get me that far and then you blow me up for laughs? You’re gonna pay, buddy!” She throws the pillow away only to start in with her fingers, knowing all of his tickle spots from previous battles.

“If the two of you are done attacking each other, it’s Carter’s bedtime,” Cat calls from the kitchen. 

“Oh, c’mon, Mom. It’s Friday night!”

His plea is met with silence and a raised eyebrow and he knows better than to argue. He gives Kara a crushing hug before meeting Cat in the hallway to usher him off to bed. By the time she makes it back to the living room, Kara has put away the game console and the controllers and is rumbling around in the kitchen, most likely looking for leftovers. Cat shakes her head in disbelief once again at the bottomless pit that she’s dating and settles on the couch. It’s still early, so she powers on the television to take a glimpse at the nine o’clock news. When she realizes what she’s seeing, her heart clenches in her chest. She recognizes the flight number immediately from the text she’d seen on Kara’s phone earlier.

“Kara!” she calls frantically. “Kara! Come here, now!”

Kara slides to a stop next to couch in her socks, her eyes wild with worry. “I’m here. What’s wrong? Cat?”

There is a tear already streaking down Cat’s face as she points to the screen, where there is live footage of an incoming flight into National City, one side of the plane engulfed in flames. “The flight, Kara. It’s Alex and Vas’s flight. It’s going to crash.”

“What?” she asks in disbelief, crouching lower to the screen to touch the flaming wing. “No.” She stands up quickly, rounds the couch and tugs the sweatshirt she’s wearing over her head. It leaves her in her dark jeans and a long sleeved black cotton t-shirt.

Cat knows immediately what’s about to happen and her brain kicks back into gear, the adrenaline rushing through her. “Glasses off, Kara. Put your hair down,” she steps in front of her, tugs the tie out of her hair and takes the glasses from her hands. “You’re in black, even if they see you, it will be hard to distinguish you,” she pauses, catches the torn look on her lover’s face, “unless you want them to,” she finishes softly.

“I…this will change everything, Cat,” Kara pleads, wanting some reassurance from the one woman she trusts with everything she has.

“I’ve always loathed boredom, Kara,” Cat smiles, full and deep, the tears streaming down her face. “Now, if you’re doing this, you have to hurry.”

Kara nods, pulls Cat into a fierce kiss before darting out to the balcony and up on the railing before Cat can even blink. She clinches her fists tight, looks back over her shoulder and grins, “I love you, Cat.” 

“I love you, too,” Cat rushes out in a breath. “Now, go!” she says with a flourish of her hand, “Go be a hero.”

Another grin before she throws herself off the balcony and with what sounds like a booming crack of thunder, Cat watches her fly off into the night.

“Mom!” she hears from behind her, “Mom! Are you alright? Did you hear that? What was it?” Carter asks rapidly, firing out the questions as she tries to wipe the tears from her face.

Cat crouches down in front of him, brings her hands to his face and smiles, “That is something that is going to change National City forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> txnmcky on tumblr


End file.
